Waist tethered buoy assembly

ABSTRACT

A waist tethered buoy assembly tethers to a waist belt worn during water activities. The assembly includes a shell defining an interior space wherein the shell is buoyant. A net is positioned around the shell. A cord is coupled to the net securing the net around the shell. A tether has a net end net end coupled to the cord wherein the tether is coupled to the net. A belt is configured for securing around a waist of a user. A belt end of the tether is coupled to the belt such that the shell is configured to be attached to the user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/994,639 filed May 31, 2018.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to buoy device and more particularly pertains to a new buoy device for tethering to a waist belt worn during water activities.

(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.

The prior art relates to buoy device. Prior art relates generally to water buoys used to facilitate floatation of a person and/or mark positions of a person or object in a body of water.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a shell defining an interior space wherein the shell is buoyant. A net is positioned around the shell. A cord is coupled to the net securing the net around the shell. A tether has a net end net end coupled to the cord wherein the tether is coupled to the net. A belt is configured for securing around a waist of a user. A belt end of the tether is coupled to the belt such that the shell is configured to be attached to the user.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top front side perspective view of a waist tethered buoy assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure in use.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of an embodiment of the disclosure as identified in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of an embodiment of the disclosure as identified in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a connector of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new buoy device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the waist tethered buoy assembly 10 generally comprises a shell 12 defining an interior space 14. The interior space 14 is substantially empty wherein the shell 12 is buoyant. A net 16 is positioned around the shell 12. A cord 18 is coupled to the net 16. The cord 18 secures the net 16 around the shell 12. A tether 20 has a net end 22 and a belt end 24. The net end 22 is coupled to the cord 18 wherein the tether 20 is coupled to the net 16.

A belt 26 is configured for securing around a waist 28 of a user 30. The belt end 24 of the tether 20 is coupled to the belt 26 such that the shell 12 is configured to be attached to the user 30. The belt 26 has an adjustable length in a conventional manner which may be a buckle or other conventional device for selectively shortening and lengthening a conventional belt.

A tether fastener 32 is coupled to the tether 20 forming a loop 34 in the tether 20. The cord 26 is attached to the loop 34. The loop 34 is positioned adjacent to the net end 22 of the tether 20. The tether fastener 32 is slidably adjustable on the tether 20 such that a position of the loop 34 along the tether 20 is adjustable. The tether fastener 32 is also slidably adjustable on the tether 20 such that a size of the loop 34 is adjustable.

A connector 36 is coupled to the tether 20. The connector 36 is positioned in the loop 34. The connector 36 has a first section 38 separably coupled to a second section 40 such that the connector 36 breaks the loop 34 when the first section 38 is separated from the second section 40. A cord clip 42 is coupled to a free end 44 of the cord 18 extending from the net 16. The cord clip 42 is attached to the loop 34.

A belt clip 46 is coupled to the belt end 24 of the tether 20. The belt clip 46 couples the tether 20 to the belt 26. A ring 48 is coupled to the belt 26. The belt clip 46 is coupled directly to the ring 48 wherein the tether 20 is coupled to the belt 26 by the belt clip 46 engaging the ring 48. A net clip 50 is engaged to the cord 18. The net clip 50 secures a portion 52 of the cord 18 around the shell 12 whereby the shell 12 is inhibited from being removed from the net 16. The net clip 50 provides for a pair of apertures 54 and a biased panel 56 which is urged to reduce an effective space of the apertures 54 to inhibit the cord 18 from passing freely through the apertures 54 until the biased panel 56 is manipulated.

In use, the cord 18 and tether 20 are adjusted to a desired configuration. The tether 20 is secured to the net 16 and the belt 26 such that the tether 20 keeps the shell 12 near the user 30 while the belt 26 is worn by the user 30. The connector 36 is provided for quick breaking of the loop 34 to release the shell 12 from the tether 20 when manipulation of the cord clip 42 might not be convenient.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

I claim:
 1. A tethered buoy assembly comprising: a shell defining an interior space, said interior space being substantially empty wherein said shell is buoyant; a net positioned around said shell; a cord coupled to said net, said cord securing said net around said shell; a tether, said tether having a net end and a belt end, said net end being coupled to said cord wherein said tether is coupled to said net; a belt, said belt being configured for securing around a waist of a user, said belt end of said tether being coupled to said belt such that said shell is configured to be attached to the user.
 2. The tethered buoy assembly of claim 1 further comprising a tether fastener coupled to said tether forming a loop in said tether, said cord being attached to said loop.
 3. The tethered buoy assembly of claim 2, further comprising said loop being positioned adjacent to said net end of said tether.
 4. The tethered buoy assembly of claim 2, further comprising said tether fastener being slidably adjustable on said tether such that a position of said loop along said tether is adjustable.
 5. The tethered buoy assembly of claim 2, further comprising said tether being slidably adjustable on said tether such that a size of said loop is adjustable.
 6. The tethered buoy assembly of claim 2, further comprising a connector coupled to said tether, said connector being positioned in said loop, said connector having a first section separably coupled to a second section such that said connector breaks said loop when said first section is separated from said second section.
 7. The tethered buoy assembly of claim 2, further comprising a cord clip coupled to a free end of said cord extending from said net, said cord clip being attached to said loop.
 8. The tethered buoy assembly of claim 1, further comprising a belt clip coupled to said belt end of said tether, said belt clip coupling said tether to said belt.
 9. The tethered buoy assembly of claim 7, further comprising a ring coupled to said belt, said belt clip being coupled directly to said ring wherein said tether is coupled to said belt by said belt clip engaging said ring.
 10. The tethered buoy assembly of claim 1, further comprising said belt having an adjustable length.
 11. The tethered buoy assembly of claim 1, further comprising a net clip engaged to said cord, said net clip securing a portion of said cord around said shell whereby said shell is inhibited from being removed from said net.
 12. A tethered buoy assembly comprising: a shell defining an interior space, said interior space being substantially empty wherein said shell is buoyant; a net positioned around said shell; a cord coupled to said net, said cord securing said net around said shell; a tether, said tether having a net end and a belt end, said net end being coupled to said cord wherein said tether is coupled to said net; a belt, said belt being configured for securing around a waist of a user, said belt end of said tether being coupled to said belt such that said shell is configured to be attached to the user, said belt having an adjustable length; a tether fastener coupled to said tether forming a loop in said tether, said cord being attached to said loop, said loop being positioned adjacent to said net end of said tether, said tether fastener being slidably adjustable on said tether such that a position of said loop along said tether is adjustable, said tether fastener being slidably adjustable on said tether such that a size of said loop is adjustable; a connector coupled to said tether, said connector being positioned in said loop, said connector having a first section separably coupled to a second section such that said connector breaks said loop when said first section is separated from said second section; a cord clip coupled to a free end of said cord extending from said net, said cord clip being attached to said loop; a belt clip coupled to said belt end of said tether, said belt clip coupling said tether to said belt; a ring coupled to said belt, said belt clip being coupled directly to said ring wherein said tether is coupled to said belt by said belt clip engaging said ring; and a net clip engaged to said cord, said net clip securing a portion of said cord around said shell whereby said shell is inhibited from being removed from said net. 